Breaking Facade
by Crayola Hearts
Summary: She never expected him to beat her at her own game.
1. Chapter 1

_**Note: **_I'm not even sure why or where this idea came from. I blame fanfiction, but anyway, I saw an opportunity for another hella ship for Leo and I jumped on it. The woes of a multishipper. Also, I've always imagined Leo having an accent. Oops.

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_**Breaking Facade**_

_Chapter 1_

_**Drew Tanaka was many things. **_She was pretty, beautiful even, and contrary to popular belief, she was smart. But she was also broken.

There was no fixing her - her heart had been shattered into a million pieces. She'd swept the wreckage under the rug and refused to acknowledge it; pain was easy to deal with if it couldn't be felt - but she could feel it. Try as she might, she just couldn't numb the ever present ache of loneliness that lingered in the back of her mind. It haunted her, much like a ghost who refused to leave. She felt it in everything she did and these days, she always did everything _alone_. Ever since Piper McLean returned from her quest, she had _no one_, though, now, she suspected it had been like that all along.

They weren't even trying to hide it either. It was clear that her siblings wanted nothing to do with her. They never talked to her in the cabin. When it came to meals, they all crammed to one end of the table, leaving her to be the odd one out. She'd hoped at least one of them would still treat her like a _human being_ and not a diseased monster, but she was wrong. Her _family _had completely written her off.

She couldn't say as she blamed them, however, as the reality was, she would have done the same thing if she were in their positions. But she wasn't, not until just recently, and she absolutely hated Piper for it. She found herself in a position she swore she'd never let herself get into. She was Drew Tanaka, self-proclaimed as the most beautiful person at the camp. _She_ should be in charge; it should have been _her_ sitting at that end of the table with her sisters crowded around her. But it wasn't.

There was no other way to look at it; she fucked up. She fucked up big time, and there wasn't a soul in the camp that was sympathetic to her. The only reason she stepped down was because she _knew_ she had no choice. Either way, be it a fight or not, Piper would have won. She had all the requirements that were needed to challenge her for the position of leader of the cabin. This wasn't something she could change - rules were rules and Chiron wasn't going to bend them, especially not for her.

She'd been ousted by the new girl and she hated it.

She stared down at her plate. Being the daughter of Aphrodite had it's advantages aside from just being pretty. She didn't have to watch what she ate or how much she ate; no matter the quantity, she never gained a pound. That kind of blessing came in handy when she was exceedingly hungry, but today, she had no appetite. The just smell of food was making her feel nauseated. Instead of eating, she sat there and listened to the chatter around her.

Every once in a while, she'd hear bits of a conversation. It tuned in and out like a radio station in an area of bad reception. Some were more interesting than others, but none of them really held her attention for long. Then, she picked up on someone's voice.

It's owner was unmistakable with the slight Texan/Hispanic accent that he had. Even more so when he started talking a bit too quickly, the excitement evident in his tone, and he slipped into Spanish. This cabin mates had to stop him because only a couple of them could actually understand him. Picking on his voice wasn't exactly difficult; he could be obnoxiously loud, especially when he was cracking one of his stupid jokes.

She glanced back at him.

Leo Valdez was waving his hands around while his siblings laughed hysterically. She didn't see the humor in it, but there was likely some sort of inside joke among them. She couldn't help the pang of jealousy that slipped into her being. The Hephaestus cabin, as unbelievable was it was, was the most family like cabin out of all. None of them outed any of the others, and Leo had given them several reasons during his time at camp to do so. He was almost as good as screwing up as she was.

She couldn't help but roll her eyes. She knew his type well; the happy-go-lucky class clown who took every opportunity he could to make someone laugh. People like him were always easy targets, especially for people like her. And he was a boy, a straight teenage boy, and she was a pretty girl. He was almost _too_ easy of a target.

Drew shook her head. She needed to get herself together. Get back on the map and do what she did best - break hearts. She wasn't going to let the Dumpster Queen drag her down any further than she already had. To do that would be to admit total defeat, and Drew Takana did not like to lose, especially at her own games.

It was perfect. He was Piper's best friend and the easiest target in the camp. But as easy as he was, she needed a plan. She was no daughter of Athena, but when it came to breaking hearts, she could make a pretty effective plan. He was easy, but she knew he wasn't stupid. She couldn't just walk up to him and ask him out - it'd be much too suspicious. No. She'd have to play it slow. Lead him on for a while and then when the time was right (when she got bored), she'd drop him like a lead weight and scout of her next victim.

She was a child of Aphrodite; breaking hearts was what she did best. And it seemed to be the only thing she could do right.

She turned back to her plate and studied it for a long moment.

There was a game of Capture the Flag tomorrow due to the head counselors' relationship, the Aphrodite and Hephaestus cabins were in an alliance. They'd be on the same team, which was an advantage on her part. She knew Piper would put him on guard duty. Trying to grab a flag when there was a wall of flames blocking your path wasn't an easy task. She just had to find some way to convince Piper to let her stand guard as well, although that shouldn't been too difficult. As long as someone _capable_ was there, she doubted Piper would care what she did, so long as she didn't get in the way.

For once, being the outcast had it's benefits.

She'd have to play her cards carefully. If she didn't get it right the first time, she'd screw it all up. She'd never get another chance.

When Chiron dismissed them, Drew was the first one out of the dining pavilion, leaving behind her untouched plate. She had a plan to formulate. Instead of heading to the fire pit, like the rest of camp, she slipped into the shadows and started into the woods. She wasn't as prissy as people thought she was; Drew wasn't afraid of a bit of dirt. In fact, as a child, she was always playing in the dirt, bringing her father worms and other things she'd managed to catch. He wasn't too pleased with the 'presents' but she was. She'd worked hard for them.

She pushed the thought aside. Her father was gone. There was no use in remembering useless memories; there was no use in wishing she could go back to the simpler days, when her world was one backyard wide and her father was the center of the universe. She found it laughable how easily the blissful ignorance of childhood was shattered.

She was only ten when her father died.

Nothing was the same after that.

She trudged through the woods with her heels in her hand. Chiron had explicitly stated that those kinds of shoes weren't appropriate for camp, but she, nor the rest of her siblings listened. Mud squished beneath her feet as she tromped through the woods. The Hephaestus cabin weren't the only ones with a secret place in the woods, though in their case, it wasn't much of a secret anymore.

Off in the distance she could see it.

A worn rope ladder hung from a big oak tree, swaying gently in the breeze. Above it, almost perfectly camouflaged in the tree was a tree house. If someone didn't know what they were looking for, they'd easily pass it without noticing. She'd discovered the building completely by accident during her first year at camp. Since then, it had become a hideout for her, a place where she could go and get away from everyone. It was old, she knew that much from the worn floorboards and deteriorating walls, but it held steady after all these years. Most of her stuff was in there; the stuff she didn't want the others to see. She'd moved it there after she caught a couple of her siblings snooping through her things.

When she reached the ladder, she effortlessly threw her shoes through the window. Her sisters would have had a heart attack at the thought of someone throwing a pair of Louis Vuittons through a window of a dirty tree house. She didn't care; she didn't even like them. They were a present from her one of her siblings, and she wore them was because they were the only shoes she owned that matched her current outfit.

But that wasn't the only reason; it was _Silena Beauregard _who had given them to her for her fourteenth birthday. They used to be her favorite pair, but now, their glittery pink color was one she'd come to associate with the pain of betrayal.

With the skill one wouldn't think a child of Aphrodite possessed, she scaled up the ladder and into the tree house. Everything was exactly where she'd left it. In one corner was a stack of romance novels and empty journals waiting to be filled. On the wall above them were pictures, mostly of her and her father, though there were a couple of her and Silena.

The truth was, Drew had loved Silena. She'd been like that perfect older sister, pretty and kind, with a huge heart and a bright smile. Then she betrayed them; she betrayed the camp, she betrayed _her_ and as much as she despised her for it, she couldn't bring herself to get rid of the photos. They were a part of her past, the one she desperately wanted back. It hadn't been easy after her father died, but Silena made it bearable; she was that supportive sister she'd always wanted. But just like everything else in her life, so it seemed, she was taken away from her.

Across the room, there were several empty bottles of sake scattered about. Chiron was adamant about the no alcohol rule in camp; even Dionysus's kid was forced to adhere to that rule, but Drew was not a rule follower. And there, in her secluded sanctuary, he'd never know. Even if he did find out, it didn't matter. The worst he could do was throw her out of camp, and that would be a blessing if she ever saw one - there was nothing left for her there anyway. Her idol, her siblings, and her status had been taken from her. She was no longer Drew Takana, head councilor of the the Aphrodite cabin and the most beautiful girl in camp. She was Drew Takana; _that bitch_, or _that tramp_, depending on who you asked.

She reached for one of the empty journals and grabbed a pen. She wrote down the first part of her plan and then sat there for a while, debating on what to do next. It needed to be as convincing as possible and every action she took had to make little room for suspicion. She had to get on his good side first, lower his guard. Only then could she take the big step and ask him out. That was the easy part. Faking the role of caring girlfriend and trying to school her emotions when he got to be too irritating was going to be the difficult part; Leo Valdez could probably turn Mother Teresa into an axe murderer.

She'd give it a few days, maybe a week at most, before she initiated the actual plan. A little flattery, a few bats of her eyelashes, and she'd have her plan in motion. She was confident that it would work. How could it not? She wasn't stupid; for all his flirting and joke cracking she could _tell _he'd never been in a relationship; that he was third wheeled by Piper and Jason. She _was _a daughter of Aphrodite; reading people was her specialty.

Drew couldn't help but smile. It was almost _too_ easy.

Satisfied with her plan so far, she tossed the book back into it's place and retrieved her shoes. The sun had already set, granting her the cover of darkness she'd need to slip back to camp undetected. Everyone else would still be at the camp fire which gave her the perfect opportunity to get to the showers and clean herself off before anyone could ask her where she was.

Monsters were stirring in the woods. She glanced constantly over her shoulder and placed a hand on the blade concealed beneath her jacket; she knew better than to go into the woods unarmed, but there were some things in there that took more than one person to bring down. She was fortunate enough not to run into any yet, but she wasn't going to push her luck. She was almost running by the time she broke through the trees.

In the amphitheater, the fire was still burning and the horrible warble of the campers rang through the night. She couldn't help but wince. There were a lot of kids at camp who could sing, especially in the Apollo cabin, but a lot of them couldn't and they always seemed to overshadow everyone else with their ear splitting wailing. Then again, when it came to the campfires, none of them actually took it seriously. She wasn't sure if it sounded worse at a distance or while sitting in the middle of it.

As she neared the cabins, the deafening sound seemed to die out. The sing along was over and the campers were returning to their cabins for the night. She swore under her breath and sprinted the rest of the way to the place she shared with her sisters. By the time they all returned, she was in the shower, humming happily.

Tomorrow she would begin the initial stages of her plan. She couldn't keep the smile off her lips, even when she exited the bathroom and plopped down on her bed. Her siblings were used to her moods, but some of them cast her uncertain glances as she went through her nightly routine, still humming. She was thankful none of them said anything - she'd have to come up with an excuse and she didn't have one.

With the scenario in her mind, she went to sleep with a smile on her face.

Leo Valdez wouldn't know what hit him.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Notes:**_ Even if it's only a few, I'm a bit surprised on how quickly I got feed back, and I'm pretty happy you guys like it so far. So yeah, Chapter 2.

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_**Breaking Facade**_

_Chapter 2_

_**Leo was being stared at.**_

He could feel someone's gaze boring into his back, but he chose to ignore it. People stared at him all the time, and usually not for a good reason. He was probably being too loud again, but he didn't really care. He was always loud, and it wasn't like the rest of them weren't. If it wasn't the Apollo cabin singing songs from TV shows, it was the loud giggling and squealing from the Aphrodite table that cut above the chatter. There'd be an occasional shout from the Ares cabin. The fact of the matter was dinner was unusually lively tonight.

Of course he was contributing to the noise level with every joke he told. When he'd first arrived at camp, the Hephaestus cabin had been dispirited, but following his return from the quest, they were a lot more lively. Since he took the role of head councilor, the Curse of Cabin Nine had been lifted and that had really brightened their spirits. But it had it's down side. Whenever something went wrong, they turned to him, and most often for the simplest things. It was bad enough that most of his time was taken up with work on the _Argo II _but the fact that his cabin, as well as the rest of the campers were constantly asking him to fix every little problem was getting to be a bit stressful. It was no wonder Jake Mason resigned the moment he could.

He didn't exactly want to step down from his position, though. He really did like it, but sometimes he wished he could just take a break, as impossible as it was. The _Argo II_ had to be finished by June. He didn't have the luxury of time. Sometimes, he barely had the luxury of sleep.

He glanced at his siblings. Jake was telling a joke of his own while Nyssa was trying her best not to snort as she drank orange juice. Harley was laughing hysterically, slamming his hands down on table. He leaned too far back and fell off the bench, only causing the everyone else to laugh harder. Nyssa spweded her drink all over Shane. She laughed between coughs.

Across the pavillion, he could see Jason shaking his head at them. Sometimes, he really felt bad for him. The campers weren't allowed to sit at each others' tables, which meant that Jason was stuck sitting by himself. Occasionally, he'd be able to slip over to the Aphrodite table and sit with Piper, but sometimes Chiron would put a stop to it before he could even get out of his seat. He didn't think it was fair, and didn't understand why the rule was in place to begin with, but whether he agreed or not didn't matter. There were a lot of rules at camp that he didn't agree with, but he was forced to follow them. Sometimes. He broke the curfew rule all the time.

After a few more minutes of watching Nyssa try to catch her breath, he turned to the Aphrodite table. Piper was surrounded by her sisters, as usual, laughing and talking. Occasionally one of them would squeal and she'd wince, but other than that, the smile didn't fall from her face. She looked completely out of place surrounded by a bunch of kids in designer clothing. If she didn't have the power of Charmspeak, which is an Aphrodite ability, he'd never suspect her to be one of _them_.

He didn't mind her siblings. There were a lot nicer than they appeared, at least most of them were. Some of them were a bit condescending, but he tended to avoid them. Then there was Drew. Since Piper had taken over, Drew usually sat as far away from her siblings, though by her choice or theirs, he wasn't sure. He didn't know what to think of her. She wasn't on the top of his 'would date list'. She was pretty, but that's about it. Her personality was exactly the opposite of that; everything you _wouldn't_ want in a girl; condescending, conceited, mean, the list could go on. But still, he couldn't help but feel at least a bit of pity for her.

He knew all too well the joys of being an outcast. While he couldn't help but think she did deserve it, he could relate. Oh gods, if Piper knew he was sympathizing with her, she'd think he was crazy. Maybe he was. His sanity had yet to be proven, after all.

He was pulled out of his musings when Chiron announced that it was time for the bonfire. With the rest of his siblings, he left the dining pavilion and made his way towards the amphitheater. About half way there, Piper and Jason caught up with him.

"So about tomorrow," Piper said. "Are you sure you're okay with just guarding the flag? I can switch you out with someone else if you'd like."

Leo shook his head. "I'm not much of a sword fighter. Besides, if I were the other team, I wouldn't want to get near the kid that can throw fire at will."

Beside him, Will Solace flinched. "I really hate that expression."

Piper couldn't help but giggle. Leo cast him an apologetic smile. "Sorry."

Will just rolled his eyes and continued on. Once he was out of earshot, Leo allowed himself to laugh.

"Your timing was perfect," Jason smirked.

"Of course it was. I'm Leo Valdez." He gave Jason a cheeky smile.

Piper and Jason just shook their heads. The three continued on in silence. By the time they reached the amphitheater most of the camp had already gathered. It was Piper's turn to choose the spot. She lead them to one of the very open places, the front row on the other end. Leo took the edge and Piper sat in the middle.

Before they were allowed to begin, Chiron stepped in front of the fire.

"Alright, settle down," he said. The amphitheater fell silent. "As you know, tomorrow after dinner, we're have having another game of Capture the Flag. I'd like to remind you that anything goes, but, in light of recent events," he cast a quick glance at Jason, who ducked behind Piper, "I have to ask that you keep the destruction to a minimum."

Several campers started laughing.

The last time they played, Jason had accidentally set a tree on fire with a lightning bolt. At the time, it was scary, but afterwards, everyone seemed to find it amusing. Everyone but Jason, who wished they'd just forget the whole ordeal. Like that was going to happen.

With that, Chiron allowed them to being singing.

It wasn't the greatest thing, but no one really cared. The fire blazed bright orange and the flames rose to nearly ten feet in the air. The more enthusiastic the group became with the next song, the higher and brighter it burned. Several of them were saying to beat of the song, others were standing on their bench, wailing into the sky. Every once in a while, some would stop just to laugh when someone changed the lyrics, or when someone tried to hit a note that was out of their reach. In a contest, they'd be dead last, but this wasn't a contest. They were at camp. They were enjoying themselves. Of course they were going to be loud.

By the time the fifth song rolled around, Leo was too tired to sing along. He was about to turn to Piper and tell her he was going to head back early when something caught his eye. Someone was stalking past the amphitheater. He squinted and leaned closer. To his surprise, he realized it was Drew.

She was carrying her shoes in her hands and her feet were dirty. Judging from the direction she'd come from, he suspected she'd been in the woods. But what would she be doing in the woods?

He decided not to dwell on it. It wasn't his business. With the shrug of his shoulders, he turned his attention to the fire, which had receded considerably.

Some of the campers began shuffling off, but most of them stayed until Chiron announced that the sing-a-along was officially over. He, Piper, and Jason stood up and walked towards the cabins together. Jason and Piper were talking quietly beside him. He couldn't hear the conversation, and he didn't really want to; he tried not to make a habit of eavesdropping.

When they reached the Hephaestus cabin, Piper gave him a hard look. "You better go to sleep. I mean it, this time. Don't you dare stay up all night working on something."

Leo couldn't help but snort. Sometimes Piper acted more like a mother than a sister. "Yes, Mom."

"I mean it," she said more firmly. She glanced at Jason, who nodded.

"Seriously, Valdez. You're going to run yourself into the ground."

Leo wanted to protest. He could easily stay awake for days if he needed too, but anything other than "okay" wouldn't sit well with Piper. She'd have no problem using her Charmspeak if it really came down to it. Sometimes he really hated that ability; it made winning an argument with her nearly impossible. You'd think you were winning one second, and the next you found yourself nodding and agreeing with everything she said. He and Jason made her promise not to use it on them unless it was absolutely necessary, and the necessary part was at her discretion. If she thought that Leo's sleeping habits were a good enough reason, then so be it.

He rolled his eyes. "You guys are worrying too much. I'm fine."

Jason snorted. "That's what you call fine?"

Leo gave him a cheeky smile. "I'm no beauty queen, but I am pretty fine, if I do say so."

Piper shook her head. "You know what he means. You look like you haven't slept in weeks. Have you _seen _the bags under your eyes?"

They had a point. He'd caught a glimpse of his reflection earlier that morning on his way to breakfast and the truth of the matter was that he did, in fact, look like he hadn't slept in weeks. The fact of the matter was that Leo looked terrible, even if he tried to hide it.

He couldn't exactly argue either, because the idea of sleep sounded like a really good on at that point. With a sigh, he gave into his friends demands. "Yeah, yeah, okay. I'm going to sleep."

"Good." Piper said as she hugged him. Jason clapped him on the back just before the walked off.

With a tired sigh, he shouldered the door to the cabin over and stumbled to his bed. He didn't realize just how tired he was until his head hit the pillow. He was out within seconds.

* * *

Leo was not a morning person. He was not a waking up person, especially when he was woken up by someone repeatedly smacking his face.

With a loud groan, he opened his eyes. Nyssa stood beside his bed, her eyes alight with amusement. "Chiron moved the time for the game up."

"To first thing in the morning?" Leo grumbled.

Nyssa smiled. "Leo, its two in the afternoon. You missed lunch."

"What?!" Leo sat bolted upright. He couldn't believe he'd slept that long. Actually, he could. What he couldn't believe was that no one woke him up sooner.

"You have five minutes to get ready."

He swore under his breath. Without sparing Nyssa a second glance, he stumbled out of his bed and snatched the first set of clothes his hands came across; a pair of cargo shorts and his grease stained camp shirt. They probably weren't even clean, but he didn't have time to try to find something that was; it was only going to get dirty anyway. He hopped out the cabin's door as he struggled to slip his hoes on.

"Why in Hades didn't you wake me up sooner?" Leo huffed as he took off towards the woods with Nyssa right on his heels.

"It took me five minutes to wake you up!" She said defensively. "You're lucky you woke up when you did! I was about to go get a bucket of water!"

Leo was glad she didn't do that. Piper used that tactic on him once and it was not something he wanted done to him again. Just the thought of it made him shudder; he could still feel the burn from when he'd accidentally breathed the water in.

Nyssa began handing him pieces of armor. Dressing while running wasn't the easiest thing in the world, and a lot of his straps need to adjusted, but that could be done while Chiron was going over the rules. His main concern was to at least _look_ like he hadn't overslept, though knowing his luck, everyone was probably already aware of the fact.

Most of the camp had gathered by the edge of the woods. They were already divided into teams. His team, which consisted of an alliance between the Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Athena, Zeus, and Apollo cabins, were already outfitted in their armor. When he and Nyssa reached the back of the group, Chiron gave him an exasperated look, but said nothing. A fact he was grateful for. Nyssa began to help him adjust the armor.

"As I said last night," Chiron addressed the group as a whole, "Try not to go overboard with the powers. The rules are the same as always. No killing, minimal maiming, and no cheating. The enemy flag has to be taken back to your side. Half way across the line does not count. The flag also must be where it can be seen." He gave the Ares campers a pointed look. "Take your sides."

The teams shuffled off into the woods.

Leo pushed through thought the masses until he was beside Piper. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes and shook her head. "It's about time."

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "Overslept."

"At least you spelt." Piper sighed. Leo suspected that was why she wasn't giving him a hard time for being late. Whatever the reason, he'd take it. He wasn't scared of her, but being yelled at as soon as he woke up was not something he wanted to experience. Unlike the rest of her cabin, Piper took the game just as seriously as the Ares cabin did - and he was a key piece in Annabeth's strategy. If he was any later, or didn't show up at all, she'd be pissed.

Their flag, a red banner tied to a huge stick, stood at the edge of a small stream. It was expertly placed so that it was in plain sight, but in a spot where those guarding it could stay hidden from view. There was a large boulder off to one side and several thick trees on the other. He already knew where he'd be hiding. Annabeth had been adamant about going over the plan as soon as Chiron announced the game a few days ago.

However, Annabeth's plan ended up changing at the last minute.

"I don't really want to run through the woods," Drew complained as she pushed herself to the front of the crowed. "Can I just stay here and guard the flag? I mean Mitchelle's a much better fighter than I am anyway."

Piper and Annabeth exchanged a look.

Behind them, Will sighed. "I'd rather have her here, actually. She'll just be a liability out there. I mean, there _is _a reason Aphrodite's team doesn't usually win."

Drew sneered at him.

"I guess," Piper sighed.

Annabeth nodded. "Leo's going to be guarding as well, not to mention, it might derail the other team. Especially if she sits in plain sight while Leo hides. They'd think we got overconfident and left Drew to be the only one guarding. This might actually work better than my initial plan."

"You better not make me regret this." Piper gave her a stink eye and tromped off with the rest of her team.

Drew gave her a snooty look and readjusted her helmet.

It was officially game time.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Note: **_So I have a couple headcanons for Drew. One of them will be explained later in the story, but I feel like despite how she usually portrays herself, Drew is actually a decent fighter. With her, I see that it isn't so much that she _can't_ fight, but that she just doesn't _like_ to fight. I mean, she's no master, but she can defend herself if necessary. I was hesitant with this chapter though, because I feel like I down played Leo's strength in favor of Drew's but then again, I was never good at writing fights, and I was trying to avoid making Drew helpless. I feel like she could probably kick some ass if she wanted too. But I also had a reason for it, which will be explained in the next chapter.

Anyway, thank you for the follows/favorites/reviews! I'm glad you guys are liking the story so far!

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_**Breaking Facade**_

_Chapter 3_

_**He wasn't exactly sure how to feel about this set up.**_

He and Mitchell had talked about what they would do if anyone came for the flag; they had a plan of their own. But now, that plan had been switched. He seriously doubted Drew would actually do anything if someone did get close, which meant that it would be all on his shoulders - and he wasn't sure if he liked that idea. If something went wrong, it wouldn't be her fault; it'd be his. He was the capable one. Annabeth had said as much. She even seemed to think the change, but he didn't.

Instead of attempting to do anything, she just stood there, examining her nails while the rest of the team took off. If this ended badly, he called it.

Then she looked at him and smiled. Normally, when a pretty girl smiled at him (Piper excluded), his heart would flutter, but Drew's smile made him uneasy. Then again, Drew herself made him uneasy. She was far from the nicest person in camp, and he'd seen just first hand how manipulative she could be. And Drew never smiled at him. In fact, he was sure she hadn't even given him a second glance since he came to camp.

"You look good, hon," she said.

For a moment, Leo thought he hadn't heard her correctly. Stupidly, he glanced behind him. There was no one there. Now he was positive he hadn't heard her correctly. When he glanced back at her, she was still smiling. Then she winked and turned on her heels and stalked towards the boulder. With more grace and agility than he'd thought she could possibly possess, she climbed up the rock and plopped down on top.

Off in the distance, the horn signaling the start of the game sounded.

Shaking his head, he turned to the tree and grabbed the lowest branch. He couldn't dwell on it, not now. There were more important things to focus on.

The sounds of battle were already ringing through the forest as he hoisted himself into the tree. Every once in a while, there'd be a chorus of shouts, as if one side were rallying against another. Other than that, the fighting seemed to stay in the same area; never coming any closer or going any farther away. He gazed out over the forest.

The view wasn't much better in the tree; there were several branches blocking his line of sight, but below him, he could still see the majority of the clearing where the flag had been placed.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed since the start of the game, but it felt like hours; given his ADHD, it was probably ten minutes at most, before something finally happened.

There was movement at the edge of the clearing. A bush moved and several twigs snapped. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Drew tense, but otherwise, she looked unconcerned. She just continued to stare at her reflection in the mirror. At closer inspection, however, he realized it wasn't her reflection she was looking at; she'd angled herself and the compact towards the direction of the movement - she was watching them in the mirror. He didn't know whether to call in ingenious or a benefit of vanity. Either way, it was clear that Drew had her eye on them.

She started tapping and scratching the rim of her mirror.

At first he didn't know what she was doing, but realization dawned on him.

It was Morse code.

She didn't take her eyes off the reflection. With one hand, she continued to tap out the message while the other idly toyed with a few locks of her hair.

_Clarisse._

Leo almost groaned. Unlike most of the campers, he'd come to realize that Clarisse was not deterred by fire - not one bit. The girl single handedly took down a drakon for gods' sake. If she were afraid of a bit of fire, his opinion of her would have dropped.

They were _so_ going to lose this game.

He could fight with a sword if he needed to, but it wasn't his preferred weapon, and his skill level was nowhere near that of hers; he may have seen battle, but Clarisse La Rue had years of experience under her belt. Swearing under his breath, he glanced at Drew. She'd shifted her position, no doubt trying to keep track of her. She started tapping again.

_To the left._

Sure enough, a bush rustled off to the left of the clearing. Clarisse wasn't much of a sneaker. In fact, he was a little concerned she wasn't just rushing in like she usually did.

She probably suspects something, he thought. Even an idiot would be suspicious.

Then something he hadn't been expecting happened. Clarisse burst through the bushes, her spear raised. Instead of going for the flag, she went straight for Drew.

Drew seized her sword and rolled off the rock.

Leo had never actually seen Drew fight, much less hold a sword. Needless to say he was surprised at how well she handled it. Then again, she was part of a camp that specialized in training people to fight; and no one was excused from lessons.

Clarisse jabbed at her, and with some difficulty, Drew managed to deflect it.

She may have been decent, but it wasn't hard to tell that Clarisse had the upper hand; she was pressing Drew, who was just barely able to keep up.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two more campers coming into the clearing.

A diversion.

Gripping his sword, Leo dropped out of the tree.

The other two, whose names he couldn't remember, skidded to a halt in front of him. They raised their blades, grinning wolfishly. The look in there eyes mocking, as if they were saying, really? Him?

Behind him, he heard a large crack. Drew stumbled past him. She was breathing heavily and there was a trail of blood forming on the left side of her face. Despite her disheveled appearance, there was a fire in her eyes. But he didn't have time to focus on their fight. The two before him noticed that his attention was elsewhere and charged.

He ducked, narrowly avoiding a swing that had been aimed at his neck. If he hadn't moved, he would have died.

"Some of you take this game too seriously," he grunted. He tried to parry a blow to his right side, but the second one lept forward.

The blade of his sword barely grazed him. It tore through his shirt and nicked his side. A pained hiss escaped his lips. He could imagine Coach Hedge screaming at him: No pain, no game! Get your head in the game, Valdez!

He was hesitant to use his fire; there were too many trees and everyone was too close together. Even if it was just a game, and the other team was trying to maim him, he wasn't in favor of being responsible for anymore injury, or worse yet, deaths caused by his powers. But they were starting to give him no choice. Piper and Annabeth were counting on him to help them win this. He didn't necessarily have to incapacitate them, he just had to hold them off long enough for his teammates to get the enemy flag across the line.

Of course, he had no way of telling whether they'd managed to secure it or not.

He rolled to the side to avoid being kicked off his feet.

That move was a mistake.

Clarisse chose that moment to shove Drew, who staggered into him and threw both of them to the ground. Even with her skinny frame, she was surprisingly heavy.

Clarisse and her teammates laughed.

"Really? What was Annabeth thinking leaving you two to guard the flag. Chris! Get the flag." Behind her helmet, he could see her sneering.

One of her teammates made a grab for the flag.

"Oh no you don't." Leo held his hand out.

He willed the fire to come. The tips of his fingers tingled and every fiber of his being seemed to spring to life. Aiming for a spot a few inches away from his feet, he shot a ball of fire. The flames hit the ground and burst in a show of orange and red. Chris yelped and jumped back.

Drew chose that moment to move. She lunged forward, shoving Leo into the ground in the process, and managed to catch him by surprise. She slammed the hilt of her blade into his helmet. He staggered a few feet and collapsed.

Leo didn't have time to appreciate her quick thinking. Clarisse jabbed at him, but he rolled to the side and the tip of her spear struck into the ground. Before she could recover, he threw his leg out, and swept her legs out from beneath her. She hit the ground with a heavy thud and a loud curse.

The third one rushed at him, but Drew quickly intercepted.

Her shirt was torn beneath her armor, and she had several cuts along her arms and on her face that were bleeding. Her hair was wet and matted with sweat and blood. Her breathing was labored; she couldn't hold out much longer. Her opponent swung at her, but she swiftly dodged and brought her foot up and slammed it right into his crotch.

Leo winced.

Beside him, Clarisse staggered to her feet. She was not a happy camper. Her eyes were blazing with rage, and that rage was directed at him. She freed her spear, but before she could strike, Drew lunged at her. The daughter of Ares was ready, however, and with frightening speed, she swung the spear and hit her in the temple. Drew staggered to the side and collapsed.

Now it was just him and her.

If only he had something else.

He'd fought storm spirits, single handedly taken down a family of cyclopses, and a lot of other super dangerous things, one pig looking woman shouldn't be too much of a problem. But most of the time, he had something to help him; machinery,a giant fire breathing dragon, his toolbelt (which he had forgotten in his haste). All he had now was a sword and his fire.

Sword and fire.

An idea struck him then. It was a long shot, and there was no guarantee it would actually work, but he had to try. With every ounce of strength he had, he will the the fire to encase his blade. At first, nothing happened, but a few seconds later, just before Clarisse swung her spear at him, the blade burst into flames. The suddenness of it seemed to catch her off guard and she tried to stumble backwards, but Leo was faster. He cut through the spear's wooden handle. The end of it caught. With a loud curse, she threw it at him. It hit him and rolled off harmlessly.

"Personally," he laughed, "I think Annabeth may have made the right choice."

Even without her weapon, Clarisse refused to admit defeat. She lunged forward, making a desperate grab for the hilt, but Leo waved the sword at her. The sleeve of her shirt caught fire. She yelped and desperately tried to pat the flames out.

"You're so dead, Valdez." She growled.

Before she could attack, a chorus of cheers echoed through the woods. Both of them froze, though Leo was smiling. The pause only lasted for a moment before Clarisse charged. She didn't get very far. She was within arms length of him when a loud clang filled the air. Her eyes widened for a second, and she collapsed in front of him, just as Annabeth and Piper burst through the bushes with Jason right behind them, banner in hand.

Piper squealed in delight. They'd won the game. Annabeth raised her sword in the air, and another chorus of cheers sounded.

"Oh good, now you get back with the flag." Drew grumbled.

Piper whirled, no doubt with a few choice words on her lips, but whatever she was about to say died on her lips. Jason whistled. "You two did that?"

"Do you see anyone else here?" Drew snapped, though her tone lacked its usual venom. She was exhausted.

"Is that Clarisse?" Annabeth asked.

As if on cue, Clarisse groaned.

The blonde glanced back and forth between the two of them. Then her gaze settled on Drew. "Consider me impressed."

"Looks are all I've got, hon." She rolled her eyes.

"In any case, get these three to the infirmary," Annabeth ordered. Several of the Apollo campers stepped forward, though the couldn't keep the grins off their faces.

Jason came forward and clapped Leo on the back. "Good job, man."

Leo gave him a sheepish grin. "Hey, I'm all about the spotlight, but Drew did a lot of damage too. She was the one who dealt the finishing blow."

Jason gave Drew an uncertain glance. It was undeniable that she'd been fighting. Then Leo realized she'd done most of the fighting. He just kind of rolled here and there; swung on occasion. In the end, it really was her who took all three of them down.

"Excuse me," Drew said tiredly. "I did a little more than that."

He shook his head. "Yeah, yeah. You fight dirty. I get it."

She huffed. "Hon, there's no such thing as a fair fight."

"Cheap shots," Leo grumbled. Drew just huffed again.

The team watched the exchange with curious eyes. Then Annabeth took charge again. "Piper, Jason, take Drew and Leo to the infirmary."

He could tell Piper was a bit reluctant to help Drew, but she did anyway. Jason offered him his hand, but Leo shook his head. "I can walk, bro. I'm not that beat up."

The blonde just shook his head. "Whatever you say."

Just as they were leaving, Chrion appeared. He didn't seem too interested in them, until he noticed Drew. Leo didn't think he could look anymore surprised.

"Congratulations on the win." He muttered and clopped past.

As they made their way through the camp, those who hadn't participated stared at them with wide eyes and open mouths. Leo wondered if they really looked that bad. Then he glanced at Drew, who was practically being dragged by Piper.

"I can walk, Dumpster Queen."

Piper just rolled her eyes. "Just be thankful I'm carrying you at all."

Drew scoffed. "Yeah, well if it weren't for me, you wouldn't have even won, so if anything, you should be carrying me."

Leo thought she was going to drop her right then, but she didnt.

They remained silent for the rest of the trip. By the time they reached the Big House, the Apollo campers who had brought Clarisse and her teammates were already waiting for them. They were still smiling, as if they'd witnessed something humorous. Maybe they had. Or maybe they were still happy from the victory. Leo didn't really know, nor did he care. He was just as exhausted as Drew. The little fire trick had really left him drained of energy. Setting metal on fire wasn't an easy task and while he'd learned to control his powers a little better, using them still did a number on him.

He trudged up the stairs with Jason holding him by his elbow.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Notes: **_Welp.

* * *

_**Breaking Facade**_

_Chapter 4_

_**She cursed her rotten luck.**_

Not only had she missed a big chance to set her plan into action, Clarisse La Rue just _had_ to show up. It couldn't have been anyone else. No. It had to be her.

Drew had never felt so terrible. Not even during the war did she sustain this many injuries. Every part of her body ached and her ears will still ringing with the impact of the last blow. She didn't even dare to think what she looked like right now; not even Aphrodite's blessing could fix that mess.

"I can't believe Clarisse actually used a diversion." One of the Apollo kids said as he handed her a glass of nectar.

She couldn't help but snort. "A diversion? Please. That's not Pig Face's style. She's all about the 'rush in and grab the flag tactic'."

"If it wasn't a diversion, then why did she go for you first?" Piper asked.

While the Apollo kids were tending to their wounds, Leo had retold the whole event. The way he said it, it sounded like something out of an action movie, all fire and explosions with epic fights and whatnot. She couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Hon, if you think you're the only one who hates me, you're wrong." Drew took a tentative sip and smiled. It tasted like the sweets her father would bake. "If there's one person in this camp who'd like to see my head on a spear, it's her."

A couple of the Apollo kids glared at her. One of them, Will Solace, rolled his eyes and turned to Piper. "Bad blood between her and Clarisse. Bad, bad blood. I'm sure you heard the story about Silena?"

"You mean the Aphrodite girl who died a hero?" Jason asked.

Drew could only scoff. Hero? Is that what they labeled betrayal as? If Silena was a hero, then she should have been a damned goddess. At least _she_ didn't abandon her family, even if they had abandoned her.

"Silena and Clarisse were practically sisters, well not exactly, but that's how close they were." Will explained. "Clarisse was there when she died. It's still a touchy subject for her. She thinks that Drew's continuous claims that she was never a hero is tarnishing her name and honor."

"It might tarnish it, if she had any honor to tarnish. News flash, sweetie," she gave Will a stink eye, "anyone who _betrays_ the camp isn't a hero."

"She gave her life the to help fight the war!" Will argued. "Her intervention helped to turn the tide of the war!"

"A war she helped cause," Drew spat. "Why do you think we had such a hard time? Huh? She'd been feeding information to the enemy. You claim she helped turn the tide of the war? The Titans almost won because of her!"

"Are you sure you aren't just pinning the blame on her because _you _felt betrayed?" Piper asked. Her voice was hard as steel.

The question hung in the air. For a long moment, no one spoke. No one moved. then Drew's glare darkened dangerously. "If you really want to play the blame game, then if anyone's to blame, it's Apollo and the Ares cabins."

"And exactly how is that our fault?" Will asked incredulously.

Drew scoffed. "Hon, if you idiots hadn't been so wrapped up in your little conflict with the chariot, Clarisse's pride wouldn't have reared its ugly head in."

"Are you trying to blame me for Silena's death?!"

"I'm blaming all of you," she said as a matter of factly. "It's because of that conflict that Silena went back to camp and pretended to be Clarisse. She wouldn't have tried to fight that drakon. She wouldn't be dead."

"Just because you're upset about her betrayal doesn't mean you have to bring everyone else into this!" Will snapped. "Don't go pinning the blame on everyone else!"

Drew didn't know why she was getting so worked up over it. She didn't know why she kept arguing the point. Maybe the fight with Clarisse had shaken her up a bit more than she cared to admit, both mentally and physically. "Then who's fault was it? It was you're choice to continue the issue just because you're cabin wanted a bit of spotlight. Oh boo hoo, no one noticed you. Get over it. It was Silena's choice to join their side."

"Luke blackmailed her!"

"If Luke blackmailed you, would you have done the same thing? Would you have betrayed everyone? She claimed she knew so much about love, and yet Beckendorf died because of a war she helped to escalate. I bet she informed them of that mission too. You call that love? "

Will laughed. "And what exactly would you know about love?"

"Okay guys, that's.." Jason tried to intervene.

"Enough," Piper said sternly.

Drew laughed as well, but hers was dry and mocking. "Trust me, hon, I know a lot more than you think I do."

Without another word, she pushed herself off the cot and stormed out the door.

The sun was just starting to set. It was annoyingly low in the sky, and Drew had to hold her hand up to shield herself from its offensive light. She had no location in mind, but she didn't care. She needed to get out of there before she lost control of her emotions. She _never _let herself get that worked up.

She had a mask, one that she had perfected and hardened over the years, but it had cracked. She let more show than she should have. Conflicting emotions were stirring inside. Her words were contradictory; if Silena never really cared, then why would she come back and try to get the Ares cabin to join the war? But at the same time, if she really cared, why would she betray them? Suddenly, Drew realized that Silena wasn't as easy to read as she thought she'd been.

She didn't have the slightest idea what her sister had been thinking. She was beginning to wonder if anyone did.

With a huff, she tromped towards the woods. She couldn't let the issue with her past get to her. She had a plan she needed to modify and put into action. Piper had really pissed her off, jumping in like she had a place in that conversation.

She was the new girl. She knew _nothing_. She didn't know _her_ and yet she had the nerve to talk like she did. What really irritated her was that she'd been right, but she had to call her out like that, as if her business were for everyone to know. If she wanted people to know, she wouldn't be wearing a mask, now would she?

A few choice words slipped from her lips, followed by a deadly glare when she caught and of the campers staring at her. Drew's bad moods were infamous around the camp. It was always a running joke among the rest of them that she was bipolar. They always talked about it when they thought she couldn't hear them. But she could. She could hear every word they said behind her back. Ever since Piper had shown up, she'd been the center of the gossip.

The bitch who finally got knocked off her pedestal. That's what she was to them. Piper was like a goddess to them for it, too. Because she was the only one who'd managed it; the knight who overthrew a tyrant.

She was crying by the time she reached the woods. Despite having had nectar, she'd only had a tiny little bit, not nearly enough to fully heal the cuts and bruises that littered her face. They burned as her tears fell.

They would never understand. None of them would. Every one she'd ever love left her in some way or another. Her father, Silena, her mother who basically abandoned her as soon as the Dumpster Queen showed up. The first and only boy she'd ever loved, the one who'd taken her heart and ripped it from her chest, crushed it in his hands, and threw it on the ground in front of her.

She scoffed at the thought. Her sisters thought it was romantic, to break someone's heart to the point that they could never love again, but there was _nothing_ romantic about it. It was painful. It hurt worse than anything she'd ever experienced. It was like a piece of her had been ripped away from her; like she was living with a whole in her chest. She could function like a human being, but she just did feel _alive_ anymore.

Love was a joke. A sick and cruel joke. She'd rather face all of Tartarus on her own then have to go through it again. So _she _broke hearts. It was a completely different game when she was on the other side. How could she possibly get hurt when she was the one in control? When she could break it off before it got too far? When her own heart was so shattered she wasn't sure if she was even capable of loving again?

Maybe that was the reason she hated Piper so much - because she had what she couldn't have - someone who loved her so unconditionally despite her flaws. She didn't need make up, she didn't need pretty clothes; she didn't need anything. She had everything. Her mother's favor, her superstar father, her boyfriend, her siblings, her friends; everything that Drew didn't have, Piper McLean had.

And she absolutely loathed her for it.

If she couldn't get her man, she was going to get the next best thing. She was going to ruin her friendships. She was going to make Piper look like the bad one. Piper hated her, and Leo was her best friend, and she _knew_ that if Leo got involved with her, Piper wouldn't like it. In her ideal plan, Piper would try to break them apart, and if she could play her cards right, she could possibly convince Jason that it was because she she fell for Leo instead. Then she could take her bestfriend _and_ her boyfriend.

_Piper_ would be the one knocked off her pedestal and Drew would be right there to take her place. She went through hell to get to there. She did everything in her power to please her mother and yet all Piper had to do was exist and she instantly won her mother over.

_You're being irrational, my child._

Her mother had told her that a few days back, when she first got the idea of using Valdez. Her mother hadn't spoken a word to her since Dumpster Queen showed up, and when she finally did, that's all she had to say.

Irrational. She was irrational.

In her mind, however, Drew felt like it was completely justified. She had _nothing_. Did her mother really expect her to sit down and be okay with that? Because she wasn't. Drew was not okay with it at all. She wasn't okay with any of it. She wasn't okay.

She never was.

The sun was setting faster now. In the distance, the horn that signaled dinner sounded, but she ignored it. She had no appetite, a feeling she was becoming accustomed to these days. The treehouse was before her now, she hadn't even noticed she was getting close, she just walked. But her feet always carried her there, to her own little castle of isolation where she reigned queen of the misfits. All she needed was a poorly made paper crown and she was set.

The ladder creaked as she climbed. She wished it would rain. The rain always calmed her down. When she was younger, it used to put her to sleep, but it never rained inside the camp's borders.

Instead of grabbing her journal, she just leaned against a wall and closed her eyes. Monsters were stirring in the woods and she'd left her sword in the infirmary, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

* * *

"She's so freaking infuriating." Piper groaned. She plopped down at the end of Leo's cot and pushed her fingers through her hair.

Jason looked at Will. "Has she always been like that?"

The Apollo camper shook his head in frustration. "Yes! She _always _has to pin the blame on someone else! With her, things can never just happen, it always has to be someone elses fault! She blames Silena for Bekendorf's death, she blames Silena for the Curse of Cabin Nine, she blames us for Silena's death. She blames Luke for the whole war, although it really _was_ his fault. I wouldn't be surprised if she's blaming the gods for everything too!"

"Sometimes its easier to just blame someone else," Leo shrugged.

Will gave him a confused look, but Piper and Jason just shook their heads. They knew exactly what he was talking about.

"That doesn't give her the right to," Will snorted.

"In any case, how are you feeling, Leo?"

Leo shrugged. "I'm good. Nothing I can't handle." He grinned at Piper and winked. She just smiled in return.

He really had been feeling better after his nap.

"I still don't understand how you guys managed to beat Clarisse."

"Truthfully, it was Drew who did it." What will told them about the issue between Clairsse and Drew made sense, and it certainly explained the look in her eyes, or why she even fought to begin with.

"How?" Piper asked.

"She hit Chris and Clarisse in the head with her hilt and the other one..."

"Mark," Will informed him. Then he turned to Piper and Jason. "Cheap shot. She hit him in the groin."

Jason winced.

"I didn't think she could even fight." Will muttered.

"I think she surprised everyone," Piper nodded in agreement. "I bet Clarisse isn't happy."

A few cots over they heard a muttered curse.

"Nope." Will said. "None of them are, especially Clarisse. Being bested by Drew had to have given her nasty blow to her confidence. Anyway, if you're feeling better," he turned to Leo, "then you're free to go."

He didn't argue. The cots weren't exactly comfortable. With Jason and Piper steadying him, he stood up and started towards the door. They offered to escort him back to the cabin but he refused.

"I want to do a little more work on the _Argo II_," he told them.

Reluctantly, they let him go.

In reality, he was feeling a bit down. He couldn't even take out three people, three people. He'd been in much more difficult fights and yet he'd nearly lost against three campers. _Drew_ held out better than he did. With a heavy sigh, he trudged towards the woods.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Breaking Facade**_

_Chapter 5_

_**He wasn't expecting to find his entire cabin staring at him.**_

Some time during the night, Leo had fallen asleep in the bunker. He was slumped against the hydraulic lift with an unfinished toy in his hands. His neck felt stiff and when he tried to move it, a sharp pain shot up the side of his neck. He grimaced.

Nyssa shook her head, though she was smiling. They were more that accustom to Leo's sleeping habits, more accurately the odd places they found him in. Harley had once caught him sleeping on a workbench in the forge. Given the places he'd slept in all the times he'd run away, Leo could sleep just about anywhere.

"You missed breakfast. Again."

Leo groaned and sat up. He'd been doing that a lot. "What time is it?"

"Almost lunch time," Harley informed him.

At least he didn't miss lunch. With another groan, he stood up and rubbed his neck in a futile attempt to loosen it. "Good. I'm starving."

His siblings said nothing as he shuffled out of the bunker. A couple snickered. Nyssa just shook her head again.

Despite it being early in the morning, the camp was teeming with action. When he emerged from the woods, he was nearly rundown by a renegade chariot. He barely registered Will's apology as it thundered past him with five or six campers chasing after it. Had he not been used to the odd things that happened Camp Half-Blood, he would have been concerned instead of mildly annoyed. The further into the mess he traveled, the more chariots he noticed.

"Leo!"

He'd just stepped out of the way of the Ares cabin's chariot when Piper called out to him. She was standing by another chariot. "You look like you slept in a sewer," she wrinkled her nose.

"I fell asleep in the bunker," he muttered. His voice was still thick with sleep.

She raised her brows but said nothing on the matter. "So look what Will loaned us."

Piper motioned to the chariot. It looked exactly like the one that had taken them from the Wilderness School. "Is that...?"

She nodded. "Will said he and his siblings made a new one and they let Jason and I borrow this one for the race tonight."

Leo knit his brows. "Race?"

Unperturbed by his ignorance on the matter, Piper shrugged. "You ran off before Chiron made the announcement. Apparently there's a whole lot of stuff going on this week. Well, the chariot race was a bit sudden since someone mentioned it at dinner and everyone wanted to have it today. I think tomorrow we're going something else."

"So you and Jason are taking this one?"

She nodded again. "I thought it'd be fun to try. You know, just for the heck of it."

Leo hadn't actually taken part in the chariot races, but he had seen one. They weren't exactly the most interesting thing in the world, but he suspected it was much more entertaining when you were actually in the chariot. Entertaining and dangerous. Just his type of game. Naturally, since he was so busy with the construction of the _Argo II, _he hadn't had a chance to take part in most of the camp activities. Yesterday was only the second time he'd played Captured the Flag.

"Don't get maimed." He said. "I'm gonna go get lunch."

She waved goodbye and went back to preparing the chariot.

Ignoring the sinking feeling in his chest, he approached the amphitheater and plopped down at his table. Lunch and breakfast weren't nearly as monitored as dinner; which meant that Chiron wasn't present and most of the campers took advantage of that. He glanced around the pavilion. There were Hermes kids at the Apollo table, Ares kids at the Aphrodite table, and a couple of Demeter's kids were at the Hermes table. He was the only one at his table.

Or he was, until Drew sat down.

He must have made a face, because she pointed to the Aphrodite table with her fork and said, "Clarisse."

She didn't need to say anymore, still, it baffled him why she chose to sit with him. Then she smiled at him. "You entering the race, hon?"

"Uh...no." He said.

Leo could talk to just about anyone, but for some reason, when it came to Drew, he often found himself unable to speak. He was bad with people, but he was even _worse_ when it came to her, and he wasn't exactly sure why.

Maybe it was the way she was looking at him, or the way she smiled. Maybe it was because of what happened in the infirmary last night. She seemed more...real to him now. Like there was more to her than just a pretty face and a bad attitude.

He barely held back the urge to groan. It was starting again, the inevitable cycle that always ended with Leo being rejected. She was just his type too; pretty and she could squash him like a bug - way out of his league. It was like he was stuck in a loop. And honestly, he wasn't even going to try with her. She'd eat him alive.

"Pity. That would have been interesting to watch."

He thought she was mocking him, but then she gave him a small smile and winked. Just as the day before, he didn't know how to respond. He'd like to think she was flirting with him, but even he knew that was ridiculous. There was no way she would. Was there?

"Uh huh..."

She rolled her eyes. "Such an intelligent response, Valdez."

Then she smiled again and Leo was certain he wasn't imagining it. She _was_ flirting with him.

"Anyway," she continued, taking a tentative bite of her salad, "I want to see the ship."

"What ship?"

"The ship you're building, idiot," she replied. Leo noted that there was no malice in her tone. She wasn't insulting him, she was joking around. Weird.

"Why?"

Again, she rolled her eyes. "I'm curious? I mean you're building a massive battleship and I hear you're quite the builder."

"Quite the builder?" Leo raised a brow. "I am _the_ builder. I can fix and build anything." He said proudly.

Drew gave him a skeptical look. "Now I really have to see this ship."

"All I've got done is the skeleton. It's not all that impressive."

"Cute and modest, huh?"

Cute? Did Drew Takana really just call him _cute?_ He was probably blushing. She just laughed.

"So, are you going to show me the ship or not?"

He swallowed thickly. "Uh...sure. If you want."

"Good. Tonight after dinner. I'll meet you by the woods."

With that, she grabbed her plate and left the pavilion. For a long moment, Leo simply stared at where she'd been, trying to process what had just happened. He was tempted to ask someone, but the only person he could think of was Piper, and Piper would _not_ be happy to hear about it. Especially if she knew how his heart was racing right now.

It almost sounded...like a date? But that was impossible. He was jumping to conclusions. She just wanted to see the ship. Nothing more, nothing less.

Still, the idea wouldn't leave him alone.

A horn sounded in the distance. Everyone in the pavilion started shuffling towards the race track. The races were about to start.

* * *

Drew couldn't help but smile as she took her seat on the stone steps situated around the track. Her plan was working, and that had really boosted her mood. Granted, she had to change her tactics a bit, but that didn't matter - just stroke his ego and bat her eyelashes and she was golden.

Out on the track, the participants had lined up. Some of the cabins had teamed up but most of them raced on their own. There were fifteen chariots total. Over the summer,the track had been widened to allow for more racers, but even then there was still a limit to how many could participate, not to mention a lot of the cabins didn't bother.

Her cabin had teamed up with the Zeus cabin, unsurprisingly. She at least hoped Piper had traded privileges with Jason, but she doubted she did. Piper probably didn't even care.

Drew rolled her eyes and examined her nails. The ambrosia squares she'd eaten the day before healed her wounds, but they didn't repair her the three broken nails she'd gotten. It was unfortunate, but she'd have to deal. She _could_ cover them with acrylics, but she'd learned the hard way that acrylic nails and demigods were _not_ a good mix. She'd have more that just a broken nail if she did that.

She pulled her compact from her pocket and examined her reflection. Perfect, as usual. Then she angled her mirror and caught sight of Clarisse. She was being rowdy as usual, screaming and cheering on her siblings who were currently in the lead. Drew wrinkled her nose. She always thought Clarisse looked like a pig; it wasn't difficult to imagine her hollering as a series of grunts and squeals.

Then she angled her mirror again, this time focusing on Leo.

He wasn't watching the race. His attention was on the contraption in his hands. He connected wires and added pieces like it was nothing, like a puzzle he'd done a million times over. She'd never voice the thought, but she was always secretly impressed with how children of Hephaestus could make just about anything with little effort. People took them seriously. Her and her siblings, not so much. While she didn't deny the fact that most of them were shallow and vain (she was very well aware of the fact that she was a living example of that idea), it just made it harder to gain acclaim for anything. It always seemed to surprise people when she was smart or able to fight.

It was like her and her siblings' worth was gauged by how pretty they were.

She rolled her eyes.

She wasn't sure why she continued to watch the scrawny son of Hephaestus. There was nothing physically eye catching about him, aside from that mischievous smile of his, and she found that more unnerving than endearing. It was the kind of look one would see plastered on the face of a Hermes camper who'd just stolen your wallet. His hair was an absolute disaster. She suspected it hadn't been brushed in a week, maybe more. And she didn't even want to get into his state of dress. He easily looked like he'd been sleeping in a dumpster.

No wonder he and Piper were so close.

She thought that may have been a bit too harsh on her part; as much as she disliked his appearance and found him extremely annoying, he seemed to be the only one who didn't sneer or bolt whenever she came around.

Examining him a bit more thoroughly, she concluded he wouldn't be all _that_ bad if he cleaned up. He might not be Jason Grace gorgeous, but he was certainly a bit more attractive than his siblings and most of the Ares cabin as a whole.

He held up the finished creation, gave it a look of appraisal, scowled, and tossed it over his shoulder. To her, it looked perfect, but he must have found some sort of flaw in it's design.

A chorus of cheering tore her attention away from the compact. There were only three chariots left in the race. Piper and Jason were neck and neck with the Ares cabin's chariot, but a sudden bolt of lightning that struck the track right in front of them put an end to that. The Ares chariot toppled over and Jason and Piper crossed the finish line, eliciting another series of cheers from the crowd.

She was just happy that the Ares cabin didn't win.

Their egos would be suffering even more. Not only did they lose yesterday, two of their best fighters downed by an Aphrodite girl, they just got beaten _again_ by another member of her cabin. She almost wanted to gloat, but she did not want to test Clarisse's patience, especially when all of her siblings were there to back her up. She'd barely managed to survive yesterday.

She sat on the steps, watching as her siblings hoisted both Piper and Jason onto their shoulders. She resisted the urge to gag when Jason leaned over and kissed her. How Jason Grace found that attractive, she would never know. With a heavy sigh, she snapped her compact closed and followed the crowd as everyone filed out of the coliseum.

Instead of heading to the pavilion for dinner, she slipped over to her cabin. She changed her clothes, discarding her camp shirt in favor of something a bit more flattering. After she had successfully chosen her outfit, she ran a brush through her hair and created a scenario in her mind.

She hadn't bothered much with her appearance; it wasn't Jason Grace who she was trying to get. She'd given up on him nearly a month before. It was evident that Piper had him hooked and he wasn't about to leave her anytime soon. Then again, this whole plan wasn't about Jason Grace, it was about getting the revenge she deserved. Besides, if she attempted to break apart Piper and Jason, it'd only make her look worse, and that was the exact opposite of what her aim was. _Piper _was the one who needed to look bad and if Valdez's heart was in pieces by the end, then so be it.


End file.
